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Hamiltonians Abroad: An analysis of individual transformation among Hamilton students who go abroad
No full textThere has been a growing trend of participation in study abroad (SA) programs among U.S. college students. Roughly 10 percent of all U.S. undergraduates spend at least one semester in a foreign country during their college career. The increasing popularity of SA programs has received much scholarly attention. Researchers have found that SA participants became more proficient in a foreign language, grew more culturally competent, and shifted their personal outlooks as a result of their semesters overseas. Less research has documented the SA experiences of students at elite institutions in higher education. To address this gap, this study examines whether and how Hamilton College students transform after international sojourns. By conducting 15 semi-structured interviews, I identify five major changes that Hamilton students undergo after studying abroad: (1) improvements in academic achievement (2) shifts in priorities, (3) cultural learning, (4) self-discovery, and (5) development of career trajectories. However, two moderating factors alter the effects of SA experiences: (1) program destination and (2) prior international experience. Participants who went to developing countries were more likely to experience significant transformation compared to those who went to developed countries, and those who had prior global experiences were less likely to experience a dramatic change throughout the SA journey compared to those who studied abroad for the first time. Study results serve as a guideline for U.S. higher education institutions to better understand the ways in which students change from their SA experiences and to make adjustments to school policies regarding SA programs
“Best Friends: How Close Friendships are Formed”
No full textThis study explores the particular instances or events/situations that must occur, or be shared, between two people to reach a level of close friendship. Using qualitative interviews, I investigate the details behind how participants met their best friend, what allowed them to connect, when they felt their connection grow stronger, and what factors helped or hindered friendship development. My study adds to existing research on social relationships and friendship; it confirms existing theories concerning how individuals form close bonds and what makes people become remarkably close with certain individuals. This study additionally reveals that, in addition to the specific qualitative factors that promote friendship, people rely on abstract descriptions and vocabulary to narrate their intuitive, closest friendship experiences and that there is collective understanding of this abstract process, which differs in nature from the more concrete, identifiable predictors of a close friendship
Representing Childbirth: Making and Unmaking Language to Communicate Experiences of the Body
No full textTeaching Discussion Skills: A Metacognitive Approach
No full textThe art of discussion—sharing ideas, sharpening arguments, engaging in disagreement—is often seen as central to philosophy classes. Yet we rarely take the time to reflect carefully on what makes for a substantial, productive, and lively philosophical conversation, and we almost never set ourselves the task of becoming better philosophical conversational partners.
In this presentation, Ann Cahill, Professor of Philosophy at Elon University, explores strategies for teaching discussion skills with examples from her two week course for the Hamilton College Summer Program in Philosophy held in Clinton, New York
Front Matter
Get PDFInformation relating to the publisher, publication frequency, editorial staff, purchase options, submission requirements, and contact information for the American Communal Societies Quarterly
Document: An Account of an American Commune in the Soviet Union during the 1920s
Get PDFHamilton College’s special collections has recently acquired this remarkable letter from American journalist Arthur Brown Ruhl (1876-1935) to his mother Nellie Brown Ruhl (1856-1932). The letter is densely written across eight pages and describes a heretofore unknown group of Americans living in an intentional community in the newly formed Soviet Union. Ruhl (1876-1935) was born in Rockford, Illinois, and graduated from Harvard University in 1899. He served as an inspector for the American Relief Administration (ARA) in Russia from 1921 to 1923. On April 29, 1923, the New York Times Magazine published Ruhl’s “Back to Old Russia as Pioneers: The Return of the Native, Who Has Been Made Over in America” about an “American” colony north of Odessa
Strong Men, Fragile Masculinity: An Exploration of Masculinity on Hamilton’s Campus
No full textThe purpose of this research is to explore various qualities of masculinity on Hamilton’s campus. This study aims to determine whether Hamilton men follow a traditional/hegemonic form of masculinity, or whether they demonstrate characteristics of a more contemporary and inclusive masculinity. To do so requires a qualitative study closely examining how men learned gender roles, how they feel about their own masculinity, and how they perceive the masculinity of the generalized other. I argue that Hamilton men were socialized into the traditional/hegemonic form of masculinity but that the new social context of Hamilton, a small and very liberal community, encourages them to actively rethink and adjust their behavior to more closely reflect inclusive masculinity
Working with Diverse Student Perspectives: When Discussions Get Difficult
No full textThoughtful intellectual discussions are at the heart of learning in higher education, but in the current political and social moment many students struggle to manage their own and others\u27 reactions when topics like immigration, trans rights, or gun policy become part of the discussion. Even when controversy is a planned part of the course, faculty may let discussion run away from them rather than lead the discussion productively. This session provides a framework for honoring students\u27 emotional responses and five strategies for managing difficult discussions, so that faculty can teach students how to slow down and learn from controversy.
Kimberly Van Orman in an instructional consultant with the Institute for Teaching, Learning and Academic Leadership at the University at Albany. Her teaching development work focuses on effective course design, critical thinking, fostering student engagement and helping students with deep learning practices, including Team-Based Learning (TBL). She also works with both faculty and graduate students on issues of career development, including the development of the Future Faculty and Teaching Development Program for graduate students